The USS Ronald Reagan has been refitted and equipped with the ability to operate MQ-25A unmanned tankers

The MQ-25A unmanned tanker developed by Boeing Company is expected to become a part of the flight force of the USS Ronald Reagan in the future.

[Reporter Tu Jumin/Comprehensive Report] The U.S. Navy continues to advance the MQ-25A "Stingray" carrier-based unmanned tanker project. Foreign military news websites reported that the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier (USS Ronald Reagan, CVN-76) completed the installation of the "Unmanned Aviation Combat Center" in August this year, becoming the second aircraft carrier capable of operating the MQ-25A after the "Roosevelt" aircraft carrier. Subsequent port and sea tests will be conducted to verify whether the relevant systems have the ability to support the operation of unmanned tankers.

Foreign military news website "Defense Blog" reported that the U.S. Navy stated that the "Reagan" used the 17-month overhaul period to complete 11 hull modification projects at once, which is more concentrated than the previous phased approach that took several years. The ship will enter the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington State for dry docking maintenance starting in March 2025, and will conduct sea testing on September 3 this year.

It is worth noting that the new "Unmanned Aviation Combat Center" on the USS Reagan is the shipboard control center of the MQ-25A. It is equipped with an MD-5C ground control station internally, integrating the US military's command, control, communications, computer and intelligence networks, as well as Lockheed. Martin's "Multi-Domain Control Capability" (MDCX) mission planning software and hardware allows operators to control drones remotely.

The main mission of the MQ-25A developed by Boeing is to take over the aerial refueling work currently performed by the F/A-18E/F "Super Hornet" fighter aircraft, allowing the fighter jets to return to their duties of air control and strike, while extending the carrier-based aircraft combat radius of the aircraft carrier. It is also the U.S. Navy's first practical unmanned military aircraft targeted at aircraft carrier deck operations.

However, the MQ-25A project schedule continues to be delayed. Reports state that the first MQ-25A representing a mass-production configuration did not complete its first flight until April 25 this year, and the U.S. Department of Defense only approved the entry into low-speed initial mass production in May. The US military plans to purchase a total of 76 aircraft, which will then be transferred to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland to prepare for aircraft ship qualification testing.

The U.S. Navy originally planned to deploy the MQ-25A on the "Roosevelt" aircraft carrier in 2026, but it was delayed due to factors such as production and aircraft availability. According to the definition of the US military, at least three MQ-25As and personnel who have completed training must be deployed with aircraft capable of operating to achieve initial combat capabilities; the Pentagon assessed in April this year that this goal may be extended to 2029.